add onshttp://www.maclife.com/taxonomy/term/4250/all
en33 Awesome Google Lab Features You Should Tryhttp://www.maclife.com/article/feature/33_awesome_google_lab_features_you_should_try
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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Since its inception, Google has become the mover and shaker of the Internet, bringing wonderful, utilitarian goodies in the form of web applications and cloud services. After debuting Gmail in 2004, Google then followed suit with projects like its interactive, totally customizable Google Calendar, maps that accurately portray real life from a satellite overhead, and a video streaming site that has indeed become larger than anyone could have conceived. <br /><br />And yet, Google keeps offering us more. The company is constantly working towards concocting and producing new features that make these services things that we can't live without. Fortunately, the programmers and evil geniuses that make up Google Labs are constantly introducing experimental add-ons that tweak our favorite web based services in a delightful manner. We decided to try out these nifty opt-ins for our faithful readers and cherry-pick the ones that we think will eventually become permanent fixtures.<br /> <br />Before you get started, we should let you know that some of these features may not be available after awhile, or have disappeared entirely since we wrote this piece. Google Labs experimental add-ons are just that: an experiment. As most mad scientists can tell you, sometimes things just don't work out. But that doesn't mean more experiments aren't on their way. <br /><br /><img height="21" src="/files/u53/greenbeaker.jpg" width="380" /><br /><br />You can access these experimental add-ons from the tiny green beaker icon at the top right-hand corner of your browser screen while your browser is pointed at a Google service that enables Labs. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Google Maps Labs</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>We're betting there's still a number of browser-based Google Maps users out there. After all, unlike the mobile versions of Google's ever-reliable satellite maps services, you don't get the same experience as with a mouse and keyboard. For that reason, we found some really useful experimental projects that will basically transform your normal desktop computer into what might seem like a spaceship's central computer.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Drag 'n' Zoom</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="372" src="/files/u129772/dragzoom.jpg" width="622" /> </p><p>Oftentimes, when you simply zoom in on Google Maps using the plus sign, you still have to drag your way through the map to find the location you're looking for. This is especially time consuming on a large monitor. Enabling the drag 'n' zoom feature is an efficient way to zoom in on a specific location or coordinates, without the hassle of sifting through a 800 x 600, or larger, screen space.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Aerial Imagery</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="485" src="/files/u129772/aerialimagery.jpg" width="622" /> </p><p>This is not the time, or place, to discuss Google's privacy laws. Instead, revel in the fact that if you're not familiar with a certain area, you can map it out on Google maps and check out your surroundings beforehand. Enabling aerial imagery gives you routable, high-resolution overhead imagery--like the overhead view of an omniscient deity. Imagery is only available in certain areas, as this function is still in beta.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Where in the world game<br /></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="485" src="/files/u129772/whereinworld.jpg" width="622" /></p><p>Remember the timeless children's tale of the world traveling vagabond, Carmen Sandiego? Well, this is the less frustrating version. Test your knowledge of world geography by guessing the name of the country from the overhead satellite imagery. Is it London? Is it France? Is it Carmen Sandiego's underpants? You never know until you play!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Rotatable maps<br /></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="485" src="/files/u129772/rotatablemaps.jpg" width="620" /></p><p>Rotatable maps instantly transform Google Maps into a virtual globe. If you'd much rather have the South Pole face north and vice versa, than this experimental add on definitely gets the job done.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>What's Around Here?</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="278" src="/files/u129772/6_whatsaroundhere_622.jpg" width="622" /> </p><p>As the Internet becomes our go-to destination for event planning, we're finding that going to specific restaurant and location review websites are no longer as reliable as they used to be. So, Google's What's Around Here? functionality finds out what's around your destination, in case you want to get a bite to eat after that interview, or would like to find a hotel around an area of bars.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>LatLng</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="258" src="/files/u129772/1_latlong_only.jpg" width="423" /> </p><p>Plan on steering a ship? Or perhaps rowing a boat? The LatLng tooltip retrieves detailed longitude and longitude coordinates so you know exactly where you're going.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="/article/feature/google_labs?page=0%2C1"><em><strong>Next Page: Google Mail Labs &gt;&gt; </strong></em></a></p><hr /><h2>Google Mail Labs</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>There's nothing negative we can say about Gmail--after all, our personal lives thrive on it. Fortunately, there are some experimental labs projects that keep our Inbox organized and require fewer mouse-clicks to sift through a day's messages.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Picasa and Flickr previews in Mail</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="/files/u129772/flickrgmail_full.jpg" class="thickbox"><img height="264" src="/files/u129772/flickrgmail_380.jpg" width="380" /></a> </p><p>Navigating Picasa and Flickr on an already limited 24-hour day can sometimes be a hassle. By enabling the previews of Flickr and Picasa links in mail, you can skip the step of navigating to a separate link in your browser, and simply view them in your Gmail inbox.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Google Voice player in Mail<br /></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="232" src="/files/u129772/voicegmail_622_0.jpg" width="622" /> </p><p>Some of us on staff really appreciate our Google Voice numbers and the voicemail transcription. However, sometimes the transcriber can't understand what the other person is saying, so it's up to you to unearth the mystery behind that voice message. Do so with the click of a button by enabling the Google Voice player in Mail.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Google Docs previews in Mail</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="278" src="/files/u129772/gmaildocs_full_3.jpg" width="622" /> </p><p>When work matters get sent to your personal account, the Google Docs previews in mail can quickly conjure up a snapshot of documents, spreadsheets and presentations directly in your inbox. You can also open either in mail or in a separate Google Docs window.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Quick links</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="102" src="/files/u129772/quicklinks_only.jpg" width="173" /></p><p>When Gmail becomes infiltrated with columns of sidebars and gigabytes of messages, quick links can help sift through the clutter by adding a box to the left column that gives you 1-click access to any bookmarkable URL in Gmail. You can use it to save frequent search terms, important messages, saved messages with certain labels, and more.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Custom keyboard shortcuts</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="49" src="/files/u129772/keyboardshortcuts_only_0.jpg" width="386" /> </p><p>We use Gmail to basically manage our lives, so naturally we suggest that any other power user out there enable both mouse gestures and custom keyboard shortcuts to make it easier on your fingers. The custom keyboard shortcuts can be set from an extra Settings tab in your Gmail.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Sender time zone</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="42" src="/files/u129772/sendertime.jpg" width="471" /> </p><p>Calling someone in New York City when it is 8 pm in California is not a good idea--ask any of this writer's East Coast friends. Enable Gmail's Sender Time Zone to make sure your friend on the other side of the coast doesn't miss out on beauty sleep because you didn't know that NYC is three hours ahead.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Multiple Inboxes<br /></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="231" src="/files/u129772/multipleinbox.jpg" width="622" /> </p><p>One column isn't always enough to see all of your important mall messages. For that reason, Multiple Inboxes adds extra lists of emails in your inbox so you can see a few threads at a time, including starred messages, drafts, and any search terms.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Filter import/export<br /></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="249" src="/files/u129772/filters.jpg" width="622" /> </p><p>One great way to rid of that Gmail clutter is by backing up and exporting your inbox messages to a folder on your hard drive. And, when you need to access an older message, simply import it back. This option becomes available to you under Settings after you enable it.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Authentication icon for verified senders<br /></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="187" src="/files/u129772/verify_0.jpg" width="614" /> </p><p>Not only is Gmail's spam blocker absolutely supreme, but it's also got a nifty authentication service that verifies the sender of the email. This way, you know if it's really PayPal or eBay emailing you (as, currently, these are the only services it officially verifies).</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Undo send<br /></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="62" src="/files/u129772/undosend_only_0.jpg" width="250" /> </p><p>In the heat of the moment, we can say things in our emails that we may regret typing a few seconds later. Thankfully, this Google gadget stops messages from being sent a few seconds after you hit the &quot;Send&quot; button. But act fast, because it only takes less than a minute for your email to reach that other person.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Canned Responses</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="168" src="/files/u129772/cannedresponses_only.jpg" width="177" /> </p><p>Typing out individual responses for a multitude of different email addresses can be quite a time commitment. With canned responses, you can simply drop in the same few paragraphs for any number of emails. This feature is great if you're sending out the same queries for something like online classifieds, or tired of whipping up the same templates for a very specified email message.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Emoji</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="431" src="/files/u129772/emoticons2_full_0.jpg" width="574" /> </p><p>We love sending these cute little emote icons to our friends from our iPhones, so naturally we felt inclined to go full circle by dropping them into our email messages. There's even an Extra Emoji extension that gives you an even richer set of characters and icons to choose from.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Don't forget Bob<br /></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="273" src="/files/u53/yarly.jpg" /> </p><p>Poor Bob. He always seems to be left out of the loop. But, Google Labs has an extension that will suggest Bob on your next email forward, so he'll never miss another important email message.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Got the wrong Bob?<br /></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Conversely, there are some email messages that the one particular Bob really shouldn't see. In this instance, this Gmail extension will make sure to ask if you meant to include Bob This or Bob That, so either Bobs get the right message sent to them.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em><strong><a href="/article/feature/google_labs?page=0%2C2"><em><strong>Next Page: Google Calendar Labs &gt;&gt;</strong></em></a></strong></em> </p><hr /><h2>Google Calendar Labs</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Google Calendar is great because, not only does it integrate with our iCal, but it also stores our entire life's itinerary in the cloud so that it's accessible from practically anywhere in world--Internet connection required, of course. Check out these Google experimental add-ons that will give your Calendar a bit of a boost and keep your social life intact.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Automatically declining events</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="180" src="/files/u129772/declineinvitations.jpg" width="380" /> </p><p>Sometimes, we're just not in the mood to socialize, and our weeks are filled with a list of things to do that just don't involve social gatherings. This Google lab extension allows you to block off times in your calendar when you are unavailable, so you don't have to worry about sifting through event invitations and having to remember to decline in your RSVP. After you enable this feature, you will be shown as &quot;Busy&quot; to your friends.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Event Attachments</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span class="thickbox"><img height="242" src="/files/u129772/eventattachments_0.jpg" width="622" /></span> </p><p>Enable this experimental add-on to attach a Google document, presentation, or spreadsheet to your event. This way, you can include directions to the event, or important information on a business meeting. Tip: If you attach a Google doc, you still have to invite your guests to view it.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Event Flair<br /></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="144" src="/files/u129772/eventflair2.jpg" width="362" /> <br />There aren't any Emoji for Google Calendar, but at least you can employ some event flair to add some cutesy critters and informational icons to your events. Icons are visible by all attendees, so even your friends can see them!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Year View<br /></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="494" src="/files/u129772/yearview_622.jpg" width="622" /> </p><p>Curious to know what day a major holiday falls on this year? Year view shows you all twelve months ahead at a glance. We found that this is actually easier than sifting through our dashboard widgets or iCal application.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Free or Busy (compare friends)<br /></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="86" src="/files/u129772/freeorbusy.jpg" width="162" /> </p><p>Finally--a way to see when your friends are free. If you're bored on Friday night, simply enable this Google Labs extension to see which of your friends are free for late-night hijinks. Tip: This add-on is only compatible with friends who are sharing calendars with you.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Jump to date<br /></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="324" src="/files/u129772/jumptodate.jpg" width="167" /> </p><p>Sometimes, sifting through weeks and months on Google Calendar takes one too many mouse clicks. Fortunately, by enabling Jump to date, you can quickly navigate to dates in the distant future--or the past.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Next Meeting</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="88" src="/files/u129772/nextmeetingz.jpg" width="162" /> </p><p>Never forget another dentist appointment with Next meeting. This Google gadget displays your upcoming engagement with a convenient countdown to help you plan your days until then accordingly. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em><strong><a href="/article/feature/google_labs?page=0%2C3"><em><strong>Next Page: YouTube &gt;&gt;</strong></em></a></strong></em> </p><hr /><h2>YouTube</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>While usually regarded as a dangerous playground for comment trolls and tween video tributes, YouTube is still very much a part of the Googlesphere. Thankfully, that also means that there is more in store for the site than simply video streaming.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Comment Search<br /></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="/files/u129772/commentsearch2_full_0.jpg" class="thickbox"><img height="71" src="/files/u129772/commentsearch_380.jpg" width="380" /></a> </p><p>YouTube is a dangerous place for commentators. While you're evading flame-throwers, you're also trying to maintain that any given video has a fair rating. If you're a frequent streamer on YouTube, comment search is a great way to mediate and keep the environment so fresh and so clean by eliminating distasteful words and phrases.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>CaptionTube</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="/files/u129772/captiontubefull.jpg" class="thickbox"><img height="209" src="/files/u129772/captiontube380.jpg" width="380" /></a> </p><p>Since YouTube introduced closed captioning, users everywhere have enabled this feature to reach out to fans across all spectrums, regardless of disability or computer volume. CaptionTube allows you to type in the captions as the video is playing, so you can accurately insert the proper onomatopoeia at the exact second it takes place in the video.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Video Annotations</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="103" src="/files/u129772/annotations.jpg" width="355" /> </p><p>You've seen them, and you've probably clicked them. Video annotations are the interactive links and notes that tend to pop up in YouTube videos from time to time, and now you can add them just as freely. Stick them on your video to point out important elements of the scene, or use the URL insert to drop in a point-to arrow or link for something like a product mention or to bring attention to something going on in the background. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>HTML5 Video<br /></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="26" src="/files/u129772/html5_0.jpg" width="622" /> </p><p>We've been hearing so many things about this illusive HTML5, but some of us have yet to see its magical powers. Fortunately, YouTube's got an experimental version of their videos in HTML5 form. Now, the next question is, will it work for the iPad?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>YouTube music discovery</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="96" src="/files/u129772/music_622.jpg" width="622" /> </p><p>We love using YouTube to preview bands and artists before we purchase their music from iTunes. The YouTube Music Discovery gadget makes playlists and discovers new artists and music videos for you, similar to the Last.Fm and Pandora algorithms.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Feather</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Bandwidth got you down? Fear not! YouTube has a super-low latency option that allows you to view videos using the least bit of bandwidth and memory resources as possible.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/feature/33_awesome_google_lab_features_you_should_try#commentsNewsadd onsCalendarcustomizeGoogleLabsMailMapsYouTubeFeaturesHow-TosFri, 02 Apr 2010 16:02:11 +0000Florence Ion6314 at http://www.maclife.com50 Rad Firefox Add-Onshttp://www.maclife.com/article/feature/50_rad_firefox_addons
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<p>Sometimes, one-size-fits-all doesn’t really fit, and this is especially the case on the Internet. It’s a wonderful place out there on the World Wide Web, full of sites for every purpose we can think of (and some we’d rather not). That’s why, we’re glad there’s Firefox. No Mac browser is nearly as flexible, nor as customizable. With the right--or the raddest--add-ons installed, you can transform Firefox from a tool to surf the Web into an Internet wrangling toolbox you can tweak to your heart’s content. <br /><br />We’ve collected fifty Firefox add-ons to help you get the most from your visits to the Worldwide Intertubes. Some aren’t for everyone, but that's okay. Read on, and you may discover ways to work a little easier and play a little harder. For those about to restart Firefox to complete your changes, we salute you.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Appearance<br /><br /></h2><p><a href="http://en.design-noir.de/mozilla/aging-tabs/" target="_blank"><strong>Aging Tabs</strong></a><br />How do you know when you’ve been browsing too long? Your musty old tabs can tell you. Aging Tabs makes them change color as they sit on the page waiting for your scrutiny. Naturally, colors and aging speeds are customizable. Should tabs fade to grey or yellow like newsprint? It’s your call, but you better hurry; those tabs aren’t getting any younger.</p><p><a href="/files/u129772/AgingTabs_screen.jpg" class="thickbox"><img alt="AgingTabs" height="295" src="/files/u1928/AgingTabs_screen.jpg" title="AgingTabs" width="380" /></a><br /><strong>Looks like our tabs could use a little Botox.</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1368" target="_blank"><strong>Colorful Tabs</strong></a><br />Need a little more color in your life? Or maybe you just need to get organized? Try Colorful Tabs, the add-on that lets you apply colors to coordinate groups of tabs, make important tabs stand out, and make Firefox look pretty. Tabs can have random colors as you create them, one color specific to a site’s domain name, or you can apply colors to individual tabs with a context-click. You’ll have to keep up with the latest tab fashions from Paris, but that’s the price of progress.</p><p><img alt="ColorfulTabs" height="342" src="/files/u129772/Colorful_Tabs_screen.jpg" title="ColorfulTabs" width="450" /><br /><strong>Colorful Tabs are cute and useful.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.greasespot.net/" target="_blank"><strong>Greasemonkey</strong></a><br />Don’t like the way a Web page works? Don’t get mad, get Greasemonkey. With it, and hundreds of scripts available at the official website and third-party sites, you can make pages perform the way you want them to. Want Google Reader to look like a Mac app? There’s a script for that. Want to strip the ads out of Facebook? There’s a script for...you get the idea. Simply locate the script you're looking for, install, and...there is no step three! Just enjoy your favorite sites customized to your liking! </p><p><img alt="Greasemonkey" height="329" src="/files/u129772/greasemonkey_screen.jpg" title="Greasemonkey" width="450" /><br /><strong>Greasemonkey can make YouTube look like Google Videos.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://normansolomon.org.uk/histTreeHelp/tutorial.html" target="_blank"><strong>History Tree</strong></a><br />Firefox’s History browser is so...linear. And so yesterday’s news once you install History Tree. It displays your browsing history as a branching tree complete with screenshots, page names, and the time you visited each page. History Tree also enables you to search your pages’ descriptions to find a past page, view pages as a Cover Flow-ish series of screenshots, and open old pages in new tabs. You won’t look at browsing the same way again.</p><p><img alt="HistoryTree" height="255" src="/files/u129772/History_Tree_screen.jpg" title="HistoryTree" width="450" /><br /><strong>We’ll take customizable browsers for $100, Alex.</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6937" target="_blank"><strong>Multirow Bookmarks Toolbar</strong></a><br />Keep your favorite sites close and your bookmarks closer with Multirow Bookmarks Toolbar. Simply choose how many rows of bookmarks you want to appear beneath your toolbar--from 2 to too many--and get your freaky bookmark on. You may never need to click the Bookmarks menu item again! </p><p><img alt="MultiRowBookmarks" height="387" src="/files/u129772/multirowbookmarks_screen.jpg" title="MultiRowBookmarks" width="450" /><br /><strong>You’re not seeing double, you’re seeing Multirow Bookmarks Toolbar.</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/46442" target="_blank"><strong>Readability</strong></a><br />Readability is as simple as it sounds: it strips away almost everything but an article’s text and links to maximize, well, readability. Instead of the original Web page, you get something closer to a book or newspaper’s layout (or even a Terminal window). It’s great if your screen is a little smaller than you’d like, and easier than futzing with menu items to change a page’s font size. If a story is worth your time, it’s worth Readability.</p><p><img alt="Readability" height="338" src="/files/u129772/Readibility_screen.jpg" title="Readability" width="450" /><br /><strong>A more legible Internet is here today with Readability.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.chrisfinke.com/addons/rss-ticker/" target="_blank"><strong>RSS Ticker</strong></a><br />This just in! RSS Ticker scrolls your Live Bookmarks below your toolbar or at the bottom of the page. When an item catches your eye, mouse over it to see a pop-up that offers more information, then right-click to open the article in a new tab or window. You’ll never be at a loss for cocktail party conversation again.</p><p><img alt="RSSTicker" height="368" src="/files/u129772/RSSTicker_tiff_screen.jpg" title="RSSTicker" width="450" /><br /><strong>RSS feeds keep on tickin’ into the future with RSS Ticker.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://piro.sakura.ne.jp/xul/_splitbrowser.html.en" target="_blank"><strong>Split Browser</strong></a><br />You’ve got a shiny new Mac with a honkin’ big screen, so why view just one web page in your Firefox window? Split Browser lets you divide your windows into multiple panes with a Menu Bar or context-command. Keep your web mail or calendar at the ready, compare multiple versions of the same page, or just create modern art with your panes.</p><p><img alt="SplitBrowser" height="331" src="/files/u129772/splitbrowser_screen.jpg" title="SplitBrowser" width="450" /><br /><strong>Two panes are better than one with Split Browser.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://userstyles.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Stylish</strong></a><br />Stylish lets you transform the way the Web looks, one site at a time. Just visit a page you’d like to re-theme, click the Stylish icon in your status bar, and view all available styles for that page. Installation requires just a click, and most effects occur after refreshing the page in your Firefox window. If you get tired of your new style, or if it causes problems displaying a page, you can turn off the theme (or switch to another) just as easily.</p><p><img alt="Stylish" height="326" src="/files/u129772/Stylish_screen.jpg" title="Stylish" width="450" /><br /><strong>Every day is Lego Google logo day with Stylish.</strong><a href="http://tmp.garyr.net/" target="_blank"><strong><br /><br />Tab Mix Plus </strong></a><br />Tab Mix Plus puts you in charge of how tabs are displayed, made, and manipulated. Protect tabs so they can’t be closed, lock tabs so they don’t load new pages, and add these and many more commands to Firefox’s contextual menu. Got too many tabs? No such thing--just scroll right or left through your tab bar, add additional rows of tabs to your window, and keep track of unread tabs by styling their titles to stand out from the pack. </p><p><span class="thickbox"><img alt="TabMixPlus" height="333" src="/files/u129772/tabmixplus_screen_0.jpg" title="TabMixPlus" width="450" /></span><br /><strong>Now you’re playing with power...tab power. </strong><br /><br /><a href="http://piro.sakura.ne.jp/xul/_treestyletab.html.en" target="_blank"><strong>Tree Style Tab</strong></a><br />Tabs rock, but wouldn’t it be great if the relationship between them was clearer? It can be, with Tree Style Tab. Once installed, tabs branch off from their parent tab, so you know where in the Interweb you are at a glance. Better still, an entire tab-tree can be closed or minimized with a context-click. Tabs’ appearance and position onscreen (left, right, or below the toolbar) can be extensively customized, as can their behaviors when opened or closed.</p><p><span class="thickbox"><img alt="TreestyleTab" height="296" src="/files/u129772/TreeStyleTab_screen_0.jpg" title="TreestyleTab" width="450" /></span><br /><strong>Tree Style Tab and a misspent youth can explain how we got here. </strong><br /><br /><a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/8045/" target="_blank"><strong>VertTabbar</strong></a><br />VertTabbar isn’t a lovable French children’s book character, it’s an add-on that makes your horizontal tab bar vertical to make the most of your fancy widescreen monitor. It’s a new look for the same tab bar you know and love, and you can even control tabs’ widths, placement of their icons and close buttons, and which side of Firefox’s window tabs appear on. It works well with Tab Mix Plus, too, letting you really VertTabbarMix things up.</p><p><img alt="VertTabbar" height="286" src="/files/u129772/VertTabbar_screen.jpg" title="VertTabbar" width="450" /><br /><strong>Let’s get vertical...vertical….</strong></p><p><strong><a href="http://add-art.org/" target="_blank">Add-Art</a></strong><br />Ad
blockers are nice, but what to do about all those empty spaces they
leave on Web pages? Add-Art works with AdBlock Plus to replace static
ads with artwork, populating your pages with online art shows that
refresh every two weeks with new works of art. Most of Add-Art’s
showcase isn’t the usual soothing stock image fare, but rather just the
thing to spice up sparse, ad-free pages.</p><p><a href="/files/u129772/add-art_screen.jpg" class="thickbox"><img alt="AddArtscreen" height="295" src="/files/u1928/add-art_screen.jpg" title="AddArtscreen" width="380" /></a><br /><strong>The image on the left isn’t an ad, it’s art.</strong><br /> </p><p><a href="/article/software_vault/50_rad_firefox_addons?page=0%2C1"><em><strong>Next Page: Daily Browsing &gt;&gt; </strong></em></a></p><hr /><h2>Daily Browsing</h2><br /><a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/13990" target="_blank"><strong>1-Click YouTube Video Download</strong></a><br />The Internet made celebrities of the Dramatic Look prairie dog, a sneezing baby panda, and Rick Astley, but that doesn’t mean these lovable critters have to stay on the Web. With 1-Click YouTube Video Download (and, duh, one click) you can snag videos from YouTube.com as FLV, M4P, 3GP, or HD downloads to play offline. 1-Click, we’re never gonna give you up.<p><a href="/files/u129772/1ClickYouTubeDownloader_screen.jpg" class="thickbox"><img alt="1ClickYouTube" height="295" src="/files/u129772/1ClickYouTubeDownloader_screen_0.jpg" title="1ClickYouTube" width="380" /></a><br /><strong>That’s gotta hurt. Let’s see it again, and again….</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://adblockplus.org/en/" target="_blank"><strong>Adblock Plus</strong></a><br />Someday beer will be free and Adobe will release a Mac version of Flash that doesn’t suck. Until then, there’s Adblock Plus to keep your browsing free of annoying Whack-a-Mole banners and other unwanted ads. Just install, subscribe to an ad filter unique to your country, and you’re good to go--no more ads on any site you visit. Or you can control-click on specific ads to keep them from loading, and allow certain sites to keep displaying important messages from its sponsors. MacLife.com, for instance….</p><p><a href="/files/u129772/adblockplus_screen.jpg" class="thickbox"><img alt="AdblockPlus" height="296" src="/files/u129772/adblockplus_screen_0.jpg" title="AdblockPlus" width="380" /></a><br /><strong>Those white spaces were ads before Adblock Plus.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://autocopy.mozdev.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Auto Copy</strong></a><br />If you regularly mine the Web for text and images to copy and paste into other documents, give Auto Copy a try. Once installed, merely selecting something copies it to the Clipboard. Auto Copy’s contextual menu commands also let you paste selections directly into Firefox’s address or search fields and reload previously copied items into memory. These and Auto Copy’s other time-saving tricks will give your mousing fingers a well-deserved rest.</p><p><img alt="AutoCopy" height="359" src="/files/u129772/AutoCopy_tiff_screen.jpg" title="AutoCopy" width="450" /><br /><strong>To copy with Auto Copy, just highlight, paste, and you’re done.</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2286" target="_blank"><strong>Converter </strong></a><br />You know those currency and measurement converters all over the Internet? Forget ‘em...if you’ve got Converter. Just plug in your preferred units of time, currency, temperature, and measurement into Converter’s settings and it translates most Web pages to whatever you think is normal with a single click. Now you can plan that trip to Europe with confidence (we’re totally free to come with in the spring).</p><p><img alt="Converter" height="370" src="/files/u129772/Converter_screen.jpg" title="Converter" width="450" /><br /><strong>Converter’s conversions appear right with the text.</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/201" target="_blank"><strong>DownThemAll!</strong></a><br />You spend a lot of time surfing the Web, but how much is spent downloading application updates, movie trailers, and other vital stuff? If your answer is ‘too much,’ DownThemAll can help. Not only does it accelerate up to 10 simultaneous downloads, retry stalled downloads, and give you live statistics about each file as it zips to your Mac, it lets you grab all a page’s images and links at once with a few clicks. Oh, and that acceleration? Our demo download crept along at 40 kbs a second until DownThemAll gobbled up the same file at more than 150kbs. If you gotta download, you gotta get DownThemAll.</p><p><img alt="DownThemAll" height="318" src="/files/u129772/DownThemAll_screen.jpg" title="DownThemAll" width="450" /><br /><strong>Down the hatch with DownThemAll.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://downloadstatusbar.mozdev.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Download Statusbar</strong></a><br />Say goodbye to moving the pop-up Downloads window out of your way. Download Statusbar replaces it with, well, a status bar at the bottom of your Web pages that’s there when you need it and gone when you don’t. Despite its small size, the status bar boasts plenty of information about your files, and it even lets you pause and resume downloads between sessions.</p><p><img alt="DownloadStatusbar" height="334" src="/files/u129772/Download_Statusbar_tiff_screen.jpg" title="DownloadStatusbar" width="450" /><br /><strong>Discreet downloads are yours with Download Statusbar.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://jaybaldwin.com/Projects.ErrorZilla-Mod.aspx" target="_blank"><strong>ErrorZilla Plus</strong></a><br />When a page’s server can’t be found, ErrorZilla Plus replaces the standard Firefox error page with a battery of tools to help you find what you’re after. Peek at a Google Cache version of the page and use Ping, Whois, the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to see what’s what. ErrorZilla is like a utility belt that magically appears when trouble strikes.</p><p><img alt="ErrorZilla" height="315" src="/files/u129772/ErrorZillaPlus_screen.jpg" title="ErrorZilla" width="450" /><br /><strong>ErrorZilla Plus lets you do more than just click the Reload button.</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2109" target="_blank"><strong>FEBE (Firefox Environment Backup Extension) </strong></a><br />Sure, add-ons are rad, but applying your favorites to every computer in your life isn’t. Enter FEBE to back up and restore your add-ons, themes, bookmarks, passwords and more with a single click or on a schedule you define. You can backup your extras to a local disk or send them to the cloud with FEBE’s Box.net integration. Did we mention that FEBE plays wacky sound effects, too? Don’t worry, they’re optional.</p><p><span class="thickbox"><img alt="FEBE" height="318" src="/files/u129772/FEBE_screen_0.jpg" title="FEBE" width="450" /></span><br /><strong>Want all your add-ons on multiple machines? You want FEBE.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://flashblock.mozdev.org/" target="_blank"><strong>FlashBlock</strong></a><br />Flash gives us Web games and YouTube, but it’s also responsible for processor-hogging pop-up ads and annoying site intro movies. Try FlashBlock--it replaces embedded Flash with a generic box you can click to see the Flash file do its thing. If you don’t, you and your Mac’s processor can go happily about your business. FlashBlock also lets you leave your favorite sites unaffected if they always deliver Flash files you want to see. </p><p><span class="thickbox"><img alt="Flashblock" height="318" src="/files/u129772/Flashblock_screen_0.jpg" title="Flashblock" width="450" /></span><br /><strong>Ming the Merciless wishes he could block Flash like this.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://code.kliu.org/quickdrag/" target="_blank"><strong>Quick Drag</strong></a><br />In a world of Multi-Touch pinches and swipes, we’re happy Quick Drag puts a new spin on the O.G. gesture control, the venerable drag and drop. Just select text and drag and drop it anywhere on a page to kick off a Web search, or drag and drop images to save them to your Downloads folder. Modifier keys let you mix things up, and you can even drag and drop partial URLs to open them in new tabs. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?</p><p><img alt="QuickDrag" height="422" src="/files/u129772/quickdrag_tiff_screen.jpg" title="QuickDrag" width="450" /><br /><strong>Quick Drag doubles your drag and drop prowess.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://weather.weatherbug.com/labs/firefox-weather-extension.html" target="_blank"><strong>WeatherBug</strong></a><br />If you organize your life around the weather, why not bring weather reports to you with WeatherBug? Just plug in your location and WeatherBug adds the temperature, weather alerts and up to three days of forecasts to your Firefox pages. Additional forecast details, radar information, and weatheriffic news items open in a pop-up with just a click. You may not need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, but for everything else, there’s WeatherBug.</p><p><img alt="WeatherBug" src="/files/u129772/WeatherBug_tiff_screen.jpg" title="WeatherBug" /><br /><strong>Looks like Saturday is a good day to stay in.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.xmarks.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Xmarks</strong></a><br />This may sound like science fiction, but someday people will use multiple computers to get their work done. If that future is now, you need Xmarks. It syncs your bookmarks and passwords across multiple computers and browsers (Firefox, Safari, IE, and Chrome), and lets you add tags to your bookmarks that help other Xmarks users find interesting Web pages. And hey, their tags help you, too! Maybe this brave new world won’t be so bad after all.</p><p><img alt="xmarks" height="393" src="/files/u129772/xmarks_screen.jpg" title="xmarks" width="450" /><br /><strong>Xmarks the spot and syncs your bookmarks, too.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.aa.alpha-net.ne.jp/kataho/xpi/yass.html" target="_blank"><strong>Yet Another Smooth Scrolling</strong></a><br />You visit a lot of Web pages. That means a lot of scrolling, and if the iPhone has taught us anything, it’s that the right kind of scroll can make navigating lengthy pages a breeze. That’s why YASS is so nice--its settings apply only to your Firefox windows, giving you as much (or as little) smooth, accelerated scrolling as you like. You can set three custom scrolling presets and switch among them on the fly with an icon in the status bar.</p><p><img alt="YetAnotherSmoothScrolling" height="394" src="/files/u129772/yetanothersmoothscrolling_screen.jpg" title="YetAnotherSmoothScrolling" width="450" /><br /><strong>We nicknamed our presets First Gear, Second Gear, and Krazy Nitro.</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="/article/software_vault/50_rad_firefox_addons?page=0%2C2"><em><strong>Next Page: Search &amp; Communication &gt;&gt;</strong></em></a></p><hr /><h2>Search &amp; Communication</h2><br /><a href="http://www.cooliris.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Cooliris</strong></a><br />Ever wonder what the Web would look like with a dose of Cover Flow? Then you’ve imagined Coolris. It turns the results of searches on YouTube, Facebook, Google Images, and other sites into a scrollable, zoomable, 3D gallery even Steve would dig. If you feel like keeping closer to home, Coolris also recognizes your iPhoto library and can display its pictures in the same slick style. <br /><p><a href="/files/u129772/Cooliris_screen.jpg" class="thickbox"><img alt="Cooliris" height="281" src="/files/u1928/Cooliris_screen.jpg" title="Cooliris" width="380" /></a><br /><strong>That’s one giant leap for Google Images.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://smarterfox.com/news/" target="_blank"><strong>FastestFox</strong></a><br />Which would you rather have, a fast fox, or the FastestFox? We thought so. After all, FastestFox throws up a tiny pop-up that puts a search for your selection on Google, Wikipedia, YouTube, and Twitter (among other sites) just a click away. FastestFox also adds instant Google search results to the address bar as you type, as well as a bookmark launcher you can call up with a key command to access your favorite sites on the fly. </p><p><a href="/files/u129772/FastestFox_tiff_screen.jpg" class="thickbox"><img alt="FastestFox" height="307" src="/files/u1928/FastestFox_tiff_screen.jpg" title="FastestFox" width="380" /></a><br /><strong>Searches are never far away with FastestFox.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.glubble.com" target="_blank"><strong>Glubble</strong></a><br />Think of Glubble as your family’s private Facebook. Once parents add accounts for their kids and trusted relatives, everyone can log in to the family’s main page and send text messages, share photos, and schedule activities. Kids can explore the Web safely through Glubble’s browser. It takes over a Firefox window and limits Internet access to games, activity pages, and sites declared safe by Glubble (or mom and dad). Better still, Glubble is so simple and streamlined, even adults can use it.</p><p><img alt="Glubble" height="275" src="/files/u129772/glubble_screen.jpg" title="Glubble" width="450" /><strong><br />Glubble’s kids browser offers plenty to see and do.</strong><br /><br /><strong><a href="http://imdbpreview.mozdev.org/" target="_blank">IMDb Preview</a></strong><br />The IMDb is the best way to settle bets about which actor starred in the original version of the remake you just saw, and IMDb Preview just may help you win your next dispute. Hover over an actor or movie’s IMDb link--in any site, not just IMDb.com--and a configurable, scrollable pop-up window appears sporting a relevant picture and links to related films and performers. The add-on also drops a link to IMDb’s My Movies feature on any movie’s IMDb page, letting you add flicks to your My Movies collections as you browse...er, settle the next score.</p><p><img alt="IMDbPreview" height="328" src="/files/u129772/ImdbPreview_tiff_screen.jpg" title="IMDbPreview" width="450" /><br /><strong>Bring IMDb data to you with IMDb Preview.</strong><a href="http://integratedgmail.com/" target="_blank"><strong><br /><br />Integrated Gmail</strong></a><br />Are you a Gmail junkie? Then you probably use Google’s other services on the regular. Why not put them all in a single window with Integrated Gmail? Just install, log in to Gmail, then access Google Calendar, Maps, Notebook, Picasa, and more in through unobtrusive, collapsable icons. Integrated Gmail is so good, you’ll wonder why Google didn’t do it first.</p><p><img alt="IntegratedGmail" height="331" src="/files/u129772/IntegratedGmail_screen.jpg" title="IntegratedGmail" width="450" /><br /><strong>Get mail and much more with Integrated Gmail.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://interclue.com/tour-get-interclue.html" target="_blank"><strong>Interclue</strong></a><br />What’s behind that next link? Interclue can tell you. Click the Interclue button that appears when you hover over a link, and a pop-up window shows you--with a screenshot and selectable text--the page the link will open. Without even going to the page, you can add it to your bookmarks, open it in a new tab, post a link to Facebook, and more. That’s right--now you can share Web pages you haven’t even seen yet with all your friends. We’re through the looking glass here, people. </p><p><img alt="InterClue" height="349" src="/files/u129772/InterClue_tiff_screen.jpg" title="InterClue" width="450" /><br /><strong>Interclue knows what’s new.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.shareaholic.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Shareaholic</strong></a><br />If you can’t get enough shareahol, we’ve got the add-on for you. Shareaholic adds a button to your toolbar that lets you easily broadcast pages to a zillion blogs and social networking sites, squash long Web addresses with URL shortening services like TinyURL, and even simply e-mail links to people with your default mail client. Don’t worry about running out of things to share. Shareaholic puts in your status bar links to the latest dirt on Twitter, OneRiot, and Buzzster--you heard it here first.</p><p><img alt="Shareaholic" height="353" src="/files/u129772/Sharaholic_tiff_screen.jpg" title="Shareaholic" width="450" /><br /><strong>New Sonic Youth in 2010? Gotta tweet that.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.similarweb.com/" target="_blank"><strong>SimilarWeb</strong></a><br />Everyone wants to find cool new sites, but nobody has time to scour the Web for them. Enter SimilarWeb. As you browse, its sidebar suggests other pages related to whatever you’re looking at. You can approve or reject these suggestions to help fine-tune SimilarWeb’s topic matches, but what if you think you know better than SimilarWeb? No problem--just suggest your own site matches for other users to discover and vote on.</p><p><img alt="SimilarWeb" height="326" src="/files/u129772/similarweb_screen.jpg" title="SimilarWeb" width="450" /><br /><strong>SimilarWeb puts sites you may have missed right in your sidebar.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://userlogos.org/extensions/simplemail" target="_blank"><strong>Simple Mail</strong></a><br />If you want all your mail in one place, you want Simple Mail. It supports POP3, IMAP, and SMTP accounts, and lets you compose WYSIWYG messages with multiple fonts, colors, and other formatting options. Create mail folders, color-code messages, and set up filters to apply to incoming messages. It’s your mail, simplified.</p><p><img alt="SimpleMail" height="337" src="/files/u129772/SimpleMail_screen.jpg" title="SimpleMail" width="450" /><br /><strong>Simple is no sin when there’s work to do.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.yolink.com/yolink/" target="_blank"><strong>YoLink</strong></a><br />You could search for text on pages like Craigslist or CNN.com the old-fashioned way, or you could use YoLink. Install it, load your page, then search with the new YoLink field in your toolbar. Instead of just finding and highlighting matched text, YoLink splits your Firefox window in two and lists summaries of all matches ranked by significance from within the site. Results can be saved to be read later with a free YoLink account, shared via social media sites, or plain-old bookmarked...but that’s so last-decade. </p><p><img alt="YoLink" height="349" src="/files/u129772/yolink_screen.jpg" title="YoLink" width="450" /><br /><strong>YoLink finds links that lurk beneath the surface.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.yoono.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Yoono</strong></a><br />Between work and play, you’ve got enough to do online without making all the new tabs and windows your digital lifestyle demands. Yoono can help. It lets you log in to multiple social networking and media sites (all the usual suspects and more) so you can flit among them in a collapsable sidebar in your Firefox window. There you can also search for YouTube videos, Wikipedia articles, and bargains on Amazon while sharing them all with your friends. Why open another window again?</p><p><img alt="Yoono" height="343" src="/files/u129772/Yoono_screen_0.jpg" title="Yoono" width="450" /><br /><strong>Yes, we feel smug when we tweet we’re browsing the Smithsonian.</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="/article/software_vault/50_rad_firefox_addons?page=0%2C3"><em><strong>Next Page: Work &amp; Productivity &gt;&gt;</strong></em></a></p><hr /><h2>Work &amp; Productivity</h2><br /><a href="http://www.evernote.com/about/download/web_clipper.php" target="_blank"><strong>Evernote Web Clipper</strong></a><br />Oh, you smug Evernote junkies. You’ve got a Mac app to stay organized, an <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/evernote/id281796108?mt=8" target="_blank">Evernote iPhone app</a> to take your notes on the go, and the Evernote Web Clipper, a Firefox add-on that lets you easily add Web pages, links, or selections to your Evernote account. Bet you think you’re pretty tough. We’d show you a thing or two, if only we could find them! <br /><p><a href="/files/u129772/Evernote_screen.jpg" class="thickbox"><img alt="Evernote" height="269" src="/files/u1928/Evernote_screen.jpg" title="Evernote" width="380" /></a><br /><strong>Never forget important sites with Evernote Web Clipper.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://getfirebug.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Firebug</strong></a><br />If you spend as much time making Web sites as you do browsing them, you probably already have Firebug installed. If not, what are you waiting for? Firebug puts a Web development toolbox in a new Firefox window or a split screen below the page you’re working on. You can edit HTML, fine-tune CSS, zero-in on JavaScript errors, and much more in a simple, easy to read interface that lets you get to work quickly. Now you’ve no excuse not to write the next great American Web page.</p><p><a href="/files/u129772/firebug_screen.jpg" class="thickbox"><img alt="Firebug" height="288" src="/files/u1928/firebug_screen.jpg" title="Firebug" width="380" /></a><strong><br />If you’ve got the development bug, get Firebug.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.icyte.com/" target="_blank"><strong>iCyte</strong></a><br />When you need to collaborate on Web research, or just keep all sites that interest you readily at hand, don’t copy and e-mail links...use iCyte. It lets you “cyte” pages or selections--saving the link and a snapshot of the page as you found it--and include them in projects to share with people you know, or total strangers. You can add tags and notes, too, and once you create an account, the iCyte sidebar keeps your projects and saved cytes in view as you surf...er, research.</p><p><img alt="iCyte" height="318" src="/files/u129772/icyte_screen.jpg" title="iCyte" width="450" /><br /><strong>iCyte, therefore I remember.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.proginosko.com/leechblock.html" target="_blank"><strong>LeechBlock</strong></a><br />LeechBlock isn’t something to pack on your next camping trip, it’s a productivity booster that blocks access to distracting sites while you work. It lets you create 6 sets of rules to apply to troublesome sites, including what days and times sites are blocked, which sites users are redirected to, and more. LeechBlock works great for individuals, but its password-protected controls and ability to export and import settings can keep everyone on a network on the job. That’s a good thing, right?</p><p><img alt="LeechBlock" height="318" src="/files/u129772/LeechBlocker_screen.jpg" title="LeechBlock" width="450" /><br /><strong>Get back to work with LeechBlock.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://shaneliesegang.com/projects/coffee.php" target="_blank"><strong>Morning Coffee </strong></a><br />We admit it, we’re hooked on our morning coffee and on Morning Coffee. It lets us quickly add sites to lists for each day of the week (and weekends, or every day) to quickly access sites at those times. Gotta check out the news sites first thing each morning, or launch all your favorite sites that update every Thursday? With Morning Coffee, they can be launched together with just a click. Its even easier than adding cream and sugar.</p><p><img alt="MorningCoffee" height="348" src="/files/u129772/MorningCoffee_tiff_screen.jpg" title="MorningCoffee" width="450" /><br /><strong>If it’s Friday, we must be reading the Onion A.V. Club.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ideashower.com/ideas/launched/read-it-later/" target="_blank"><strong>Read It Later </strong></a><br />We’re always doing things later...writing thank-you notes, meeting deadlines...so its no surprise we dig Read It Later. Just click a checkmark in your address bar to add the current page to your list of things to read later. When you have spare time--on a commute, say, with the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/read-it-later-pro/id309601447?mt=8" target="_blank">Read It Later iPhone app</a>--you don’t even need an Internet connection to access your list and catch up on your reading. Install it today...or, y’know, later.</p><p><img alt="ReaditLater" height="318" src="/files/u129772/ReaditLater_screen.jpg" title="ReaditLater" width="450" /><br /><strong>Procrastinate effectively with Read It Later.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.toodledo.com/widget/firefox_plugin.php" target="_blank"><strong>Toodledo</strong></a><br />Do you use Toodledo, the service that lets you manage your schedule and send it to an online calendar to share with others or read on the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toodledo-to-do-list/id292755387?mt=8" target="_blank">Toodledo iPhone app?</a> Then you’re way more organized than we are. You’ve probably already scheduled time to install the Toodledo add-on that lets you quickly add Web pages, text selections, and general to-dos right from your Firefox window. Well...good for you!</p><p><img alt="Toodledo" height="349" src="/files/u129772/toodledo_screen.jpg" title="Toodledo" width="450" /><br /><strong>You have your to-do list, we have ours with Toodledo.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.zotero.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Zotero</strong></a><br />Researchers, rejoice. Zotero lets you surf news sites, academic databases, libraries, even Amazon and YouTube to save citations, links, snapshots of pages, and PDFs in a pop-up mini-app that lives in your Firefox window. There you can tag and add notes to your finds and organize them according to just about any parameters you can think of. All this can be synched to other computers running Zotero to follow you and your research across campus or the world. It even exports bibliographies and citations in almost any style you can think of when you finally get around to writing your dissertation.</p><p><img alt="Zotero" height="349" src="/files/u129772/zotero_screen.jpg" title="Zotero" width="450" /><br /><strong>Zotero’s iTunes-like interface is easy to use.</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="/article/software_vault/50_rad_firefox_addons?page=0%2C4"><em><strong>Next Page: Workplace Security &amp; Shopping &gt;&gt; </strong></em></a></p><hr /><h2>Workplace Security</h2><br /><a href="http://tabrenamizer.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Tab Renamizer</strong></a><br />Are you goofing off or hard at work? With Tab Renamizer, no one knows but you. It changes the names of closed tabs to something safe for work while leaving their contents intact. A few innocent looking substitutions--Wikipedia, Google, a 404 error message--are built in, but you can add your own. Then change individual tabs as the need arises, or set and forget Tab Renamizer to automatically rename tabs as you, ahem, “work.”<p><a href="/files/u129772/tabrenamizer_screen.jpg" class="thickbox"><img alt="tabrenamizer" height="310" src="/files/u1928/tabrenamizer_screen.jpg" title="tabrenamizer" width="380" /></a><br /><strong>Nothing shady going on here, no sir.</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6367" target="_blank"><strong>Panic</strong></a><br />Imagine you’re at looking at a site you don’t want your boss to see. Don’t panic, you’ve installed Panic. It puts an unobtrusive icon in your status bar you can tap to make any naughty tabs in your frontmost window disappear, replaced by the inoffensive page of your choice. The default page is a Google search for “increasing workplace productivity”...nice.</p><p><a href="/files/u129772/panic_screen.jpg" class="thickbox"><img alt="Panic" height="296" src="/files/u1928/panic_screen_0.jpg" title="Panic" width="380" /></a><br /><strong>Who’s panicking? We weren’t doing anything wrong!</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Shopping</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong><a href="http://camelcamelcamel.com/" target="_blank">Camelizer </a></strong><br />Like to buy things at Amazon, Newegg, or Overstock.com? Yeah, us, too--that’s why we installed Camelizer. It adds a button to items on those sites (and others) that delivers price histories courtesy of the camelcamelcamel service.Sign up for e-mail or Twitter updates when an item’s price drop to a figure you set, and you’ve got no excuse for paying too much for that USB-powered backscratcher Uncle Frank has been hinting about for his birthday.</p><p><img alt="camelizer" height="362" src="/files/u129772/camelizer_screen.jpg" title="camelizer" width="450" /><br /><strong>Hey, that price isn’t much higher than it was on Black Friday!</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://getglue.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Glue</strong></a><br />Glue is all about you--or more specifically, the things you’re interested in. Just install, sign up, and start letting Glue get to know you by rating movies, books, gadgets, and more with a simple thumbs up or thumbs down. Then visit the sites you already use (like Amazon, Wikipedia, Apple, and many, many more), and Glue reminds you of what you like and suggests new stuff you might <em>like</em> to like. Glue’s the good friend you always take shopping, if your friend was a pop-up banner at the bottom of your Firefox page.</p><p><img alt="Glue" height="334" src="/files/u129772/glue_tiff_screen.jpg" title="Glue" width="450" /><br /><strong>The more you let Glue know about you, the more accurate it is.</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/13805" target="_blank"><strong>PriceTrace Toolbar</strong></a><br />Attention, Kmart.com shoppers--and shoppers at Amazon, Macy’s, B&amp;H, and many more online stores. The PriceTrace Toolbar add-on puts a PriceTrace.com search bar on your pages for instant comparison shopping on supported sites. You can compare past and current prices and subscribe to price drop alerts with a click, but the coolest feature is quick access to searches for fillers--items you buy to qualify for special offers--based on price range and other criteria.</p><p><img alt="pricetracetoolbar" height="352" src="/files/u129772/pricetracetoolbar_screen.jpg" title="pricetracetoolbar" width="450" /><br /><strong>Shopping? Put PriceTrace on the case.</strong></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/feature/50_rad_firefox_addons#commentsadd onsFirefoxFirefox 3InternetpluginsFeaturesTop StoriesTue, 15 Dec 2009 21:48:43 +0000Adam Berenstain5530 at http://www.maclife.com